rock star

noun

plural rock stars

1

: a famous rock musician

From my standpoint, from '72 to '76, I was the ultimate rock star. I couldn't have been more of a rock star. Anything that had to do with being a rock 'n' roll singer was what I was going for.

—David Bowie

He's what I always thought rock stars should be: sexy, dangerous, outrageous, and funny. And at least a little self-aware.

—Doug Brod

2

: a highly accomplished and well-regarded person in a particular field

Locals came streaming across a muddy construction site on the Cooper River to catch a glimpse of the rock star of politics.

—Howard Fineman

The Colchester Boards of Selectmen, Finance and Education are the rock stars of our town's elected government.

—Jason Cohen

For the agency, whose mission is building soil health, Brandt [David Brandt, farmer] has emerged as a kind of rock star. He's a "step ahead of the game."

—Tom Philpott

Pale-faced and bespectacled, the 43-year-old Chudzinski is an emerging rock star in NFL coaching circles.

—David G Fleming

… the day of the celebrity chef is seriously upon us. Chefs have become the rock stars of their generation, and we all long to know them better.

—Ruth Reichl

Examples of rock star in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

It was even frequented by rock star Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse. —Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026

Post Malone isn't feeling like a rock star after his latest mishap was caught on camera. —Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 5 Jan. 2026

Haters aside, Yungblud seems to have found himself — and won attention from seemingly every veteran rock star — with the classic-rock vibes of 2025’s Idols, which scored him two Grammy nominations (along with another one for his performance at Ozzy Osbourne‘s final concert). —Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 5 Jan. 2026

The Barnett brothers insisted CBS News Atlanta's Jobina Fortson-Evans learn the signature rock star lean that the internet can't seem to get enough of. —Jobina Fortson-Evans, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1960, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for rock star

• adar
• afar
• ajar
• alar
• ansar
• bazaar
• bizarre
• boxcar
• boyar
• bulbar
• cachar
• cigar